'I would gladly make 'ee a cake and a little bird,' said Tamsin, 'if only I was rich; but I am afraid I can't afford to make 'ee even a dinky one. You can't buy sugar and spice and other things to make a cake without money, and I ent a got no money, not even a farthing.' 'Haven't you?' cried little Phillida, her sweet child eyes full of tears. 'I am so disappointed, Grannie; I did so hope you could afford just a dinky cake.' 'I had hoped so, too, cheeld,' said the kind old woman. 'Never mind, I'll ask the Piskeys to come in and order you a little dream-cake an' a little dream-bird.' 'What is a little dream-cake, Grannie, and a little dream-bird?' asked the child. 'The Piskeys used to come in through the keyhole to pass over the bridges of children's noses, when I was a little maid like you, to order their dreams. It would be ever so nice if they passed over the bridge of your nose and ordered you a little dream-cake and a little dream-bird.' 'But you can't eat cakes in your dreams,' said little Phillida, 'and you can't hold little dream-birds in your hands.' 'Can't you?' cried Grannie. 'That's all you know about it. I will ask the Dinky Men to come through our keyhole to order your dreams the very next time they are outside our cottage.' 'They are outside now,' said Phillida. 'I hear them laughing. Listen, Grannie!' And the old woman listened, and she knew that the child was right, and that the Piskeys were outside their window, for she too heard their laughter. 'The Dinky Men be there right enough,' said Tamsin, 'an' they are tickled about something, by the way they are laughing.' 'P'raps they heard what you said about asking them to come in and order me a little dream-cake and a little dream-bird,' suggested the little maid. 'I shouldn't wonder,' laughed Grannie; 'an' I'm sure they'll be willing. I'll ask them now;' and getting up from her wooden arm-chair, she went to the door and called softly: 'Little Piskeys, are you there?' But the Piskeys made no response to the old woman's question save by a gay little laugh. 'If you be there, an' can hear me,' said Tamsin, 'I want 'ee to be so good as to come through my keyhole on the evening of Christmas Eve an' pass over the bridge of Phillida's nose, an' order her a little dream-cake with a little dream-bird on top. I shall be so obliged to 'ee if you will, for I am too poor to make the cheeld a real cake an' a little cake-bird.' When the old woman had said all this, such a burst of laughter broke on the winter air outside the cottage that Phillida rushed to the door and looked out. She could not see the Dinky Men, but their laughter was more than enough to tell her that they were there, and Grannie said she was sure they had heard what she asked, and would do it gladly.